Collapsible support structure and lighting device for rug-hooking frames



Oct. 12, 1954 WILDE R 2,691,203

I H. w. COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORT STRUCTURE AND LIGHTING DEVICE FOR RUG-HOOKING FRAMES Filed April 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

HENRY N. N/l-DER Oct. 12, 1954 H. w. WILDER COLLAPSIBLE s UPPORT STRUCTURE AND LIGHTING DEVICE FOR RUG-HOOKING FRAMES 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed April 5, 1950 INVENTO R. HE/veY N- N/LoEe ATToR Patented Oct. 12, 1954 COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORT STRUCTURE AND LIGHTING DEVICE FOR RUG-BOOKING FRAMES Henry W. Wilder, Worcester, Mass.

Application April 5, 1950, Serial No. 154,071

7 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in rug-hooking apparatus, of the type in which a work or fabric-carrying frame is pivotally mounted at its ends in upright members of a supporting structure. One object of the invention is to provide such a supporting structure and a detachable lighting device for the frame, both of which are readily adjustable lengthwise so as to accommodate them to frames of different length, as determined by different widths of rug or other work that it is desired to fabricate. Another object is to provide a support structure and associated lighting device that can be quickly collapsed or folded, so as to occupy only a relatively small space, for purposes of storage or transportation.

Heretofore, support structures for rug-hooking frames have been bulky, cumbersome and diffcult to handle, thus making it impracticable to move them from place to place in the average home. By my invention, as hereinafter described, I have provided a support structure and an easily applied lighting device for the frame, both of extremely light weight and readily adjustable construction, and which, when not in use, can be easily folded up, for storage or for movement about the home from room to room, and can just as easily be unfolded and set up for use, by the housewife or other user thereof.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective assembly view showing in full lines the support structure and associated lighting device of my invention, the fabric-carrying or work frame, of conventional construction, being indicated by broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the support structure in its collapsed and folded condition, for storage or transportation purposes. v

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of the detached and folded lighting device.

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary larger scale views, in side and end elevation respectively, showing the connection of the lighting device to the support structure.

Fig. 6 is a larger scale fragmentary view showing details of the construction of the end standards of the support structure.

Fig. 7 is a larger scale fragmentary view, partly in section, showing details of construction of the adjustable and collapsible lighting device.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary larger scale view, showing details of construction involved in the adjustment and also in the folding up of the support structure.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

For lightness of weight as well as for portability and ease of manipulation and adjustment, the constituent parts of my invention are preferably made of tubular aluminum or aluminum alloy stock' In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, such stock is employed throughout for the two end standards of the support struc-. ture, for the transverse spreader bar which connects said two end standards, and also for the superimposed detachable support on which is mounted the lighting fixture; in fact, such lightweight tubular stock is preferably used everywhere except in the rectangular pivoted work frame (shown by broken lines in Fig. 1) on which the rug or other material beingfabricated is carriedthis work frame, indicated at A, being of conventional wooden construction and consisting of side pieces of substantially square cross section and end pieces of rectangular section, the latter carrying the usual aligned pivot bolts a, a.

The supporting structure of my invention provides two identical end standards designated B and B respectively. Each end standard is constructed throughout of lightweight tubular stock and consists, as here shown, of three permanently-connected pieces, namely, a central upright I, a foot member 2 and a stifiening brace 3. The tubular stock of each upright l is formed near its lower end with a bend as indicated at 4, to provide for said upright l a relatively short inwardly extending horizontal leg 5. The latters stock, for some distance in from the end, is flattened, as best shown at 6, Fig. 8, in the vertical plane of said upright and its leg 5, for a purpose to be described.

The foot member 2 of each end standard consists of an appropriate length of such lightweight tubular metal stock whose extreme end portions are flattened, as shown at l, l, and then centrally apertured, Such length at equal distances from its ends has two opposed bends 8, 8 of sufficient acuteness to bring together the two flattened ends 1, l of the piece. The latter is thus bent into the general shape of an isosceles triangle having sloping legs 9, 9 and a base portion l0; but each such base portion, as shown,

3 is preferably formed with a central reentrant bend II, the effect of which is to establish each bases end portions, adjacent the bends 8, 8 as a pair of spaced-apart supporting feet, here shown as equipped with tubular rubber or like coverings Illa, Ina, for protection against scratching of the floor, and against undue slippage or sliding of the support structure thereon.

The bent tubular members I and 2 of each end standard are suitably connected together so as to stand in vertical planes at right angles to each other. In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, such connection is provided by an upper bolt I2 and a lower bolt II. The bolt I2 (see Fig. 6) passes through the apertures of the meeting flattened ends I, 1 of each foot member 2 and through an aperture in the associated upright I at a point about midway of the latters height. Said bolt I2 also passes through an aperture in the flattened upper end I3 of the stiffening brace 3 to anchor the latters upper end. In addition an angularly adjustable workframe brace I4 is pivotally mounted on the inner end of each bolt I2. The lower bolt I! of each end standard passes through the reentrant bend II of foot member 2 and through the upright I, at a point just above the latters bend 4. Preferably, the bolts I2 and II, after application to each of a suitable retaining nut (see I5, Fig. 6) have their ends headed over, as shown at It in Fig. 6, so as to keep the so-assembled parts from working loose, in the continued use of the support structure.

The stiffening brace 3 of each end standard extends obliquely from the bolt I2 to the end of the horizontal leg of the associated upright I. For that purpose each brace 3 has a slight bend I8 at the juncture of its flattened upper end I3 with the tubular brace material. Said brace material at its lower end is flattened, as shown at I9, Fig. 8, in a plane substantially at right angles to the flattening I3, so as to lie parallel to the flattened portion 6 of the uprights leg 5. The flattened portions 6 and I9 are provided with registering apertures, as indicated at 2|), Fig. 8, for the passage of a bolt 2| (see Fig. 2) whose retaining means takes the form, as here shown, of a wing nut 22, adapted for ready tightening or loosening by hand, for a purpose now to be described.

The brace-anchoring bolt 2|, in the case of each end standard, serves for the pivotal or articulated attachment to leg 5, of an elongated tubular member, designated 23 in the case of end standard B, and 24 in the case of end standard B. These two tubular members are of difrerent diameters, the smaller 23 being telescopically received within the larger 24 (see Fig. 8) to provide, when so assembled, an extensible or adjustable-length spreader bar (see Fig. 1) connecting the two end standards of the support structure. The outer end of each member 23, 25 is flattened, as shown at 25, to lie against the flattened end 6 of leg 5, and has an aperture, alined at 20 with those of the leg 5 and brace 3, to receive the pivot bolt 2 I. In outwardly ofi'set relation to pivot bolt 2|, each such flattened end 25 has another aperture 25 (see Fig. 8), which carries a bolt 21 having a wing nut 28 thereon. Each bolt 21 in the operative position (Fig. I) of spreader bar 23, 24, has its shank received by a notch 29, formed in the bottom edge of the flattened end 6 of associated leg 5, said notches 29 being of suiiicient depth for the spreader bar 23, 24 to attain a substantially horizontal position, coincident with the bottoming of its bolts 21, 21 in said notches. In that position, and after the two sets of wing nuts 22, 22 and 28, 28 have been screwed down tightly on their bolts, to clamp the flattened portions 6 and I9 firmly together, the spreader bar 23, 24 serves, by its above-described rigid connection to each end standard, to hold the latter upright, in spacedapart relation in readiness to receive and support the work frame A.

The length of work frame A is in many cases variable, being dependent upon the width of the rug or other work that the user desires to fabricate. But the supporting structure of my invention, by virtue of the extensible construction of its spreader bar 23, 24, is adaptable to work frames of all lengths, standard or otherwise, within the limits of said spreader bars adjustability.. The telescoped members 23 and 24 are simply moved inwardly or outwardly, as the case may be, until the spacing between the two up-.

rights I of end standard B and B corresponds substantially to the length of the work frame A;

then the latters pivot bolts a, a (see Figs. 4 and 5) are positioned in vertical slots 30, 30 provided in flattened portions 3|, 3| at the upper ends of said uprights I, I. After the supporting structure has been so adjusted to the proper length, the telescoped tubular members 23 and 24 may be locked together against relative displacement; for this purpose the free end of the larger or outside member 24 is externally threaded, as shown at 32, Fig. 8, and provided with two or more longitudinal slits, as indicated at 33, the latter enabling the wall of said member 24 to be compressed, into binding frictional contact with inner member 23, by inwardly screwing onto said threaded and slitted end an internally threaded sleeve 34. The latter, when backed off to permit the above described lengthwise adjustment of the supporting structure, will loosely encircle the smaller tubular element 23 of the spreader bar.

As shown in Fig. 1, the swingable arms I4, I4 of the end standards have their free ends flattened, and provided with a series of holes 35, 35 which can be selectively engaged with a pin or screw projecting inwardly from each end member of the work support structure A, to keep the latter, when desired, from tilting out of the angular position which the operator finds most favorable for the work thereon. For illuminating such work, my invention provides a detachable and collapsible lighting device, similar to that shown and described in my co-pending application Serial No. 75,527, filed February 10, 1949,- and now abandoned. Its essential elements include, as here shown, a pair of bent tubular legs 35, 36 attachable to the end standards B, B" of the supporting structure, said legs carrying between them an overhead traverse member designated C, on which a lighting fixture, designated D, is longitudinally adjustable.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the free lower end of each tubular leg 36 is flattened at 3! and slotted at 38, thus enabling said legs to be mounted upon the respective pivot bolts a, a of the work frame, and to be held in upright position by the tightening of said bolts wing nuts b, b (see Figs. 1 and 4). In the here disclosed lighting device, like that of my aforesaid co-pending application, the upper inwardly bent ends of legs 36' are flattened at 39, and apertured at 40', 40 (see Fig. 7) for reception of a pair of bolts 4|, 4| that also pass through matching apertures in the respective flattened ends 42, 42 of the tubular stock of thetraverse member C. The latter'differs from the fixed-length traverse member of my aforesaid co-pending application, in being constituted by two tubular pieces 43 and 44 of different diameters, the smaller piece 43 being telescopically received within the larger piece 44. Thus said lighting device (the same as the support structure of my invention) is readily adjustable or extensible, by relative inward or outward movements of the telescoped tubular members 42 and 43, to adapt itself to work frames of various lengths. Also said lighting device, when detached and removed from the support structure by backing oif the wing nuts I), b), can be collapsed and folded (see Fig. 3) so as to occupy a relatively small space; this is accomplished, as set foth in my aforesaid co-pendin application, by removing one of the bolts 4| at each end.

The entire supporting structure of my invention, after removal of the work frame A of Fig. 1, can, with even greater ease and quickness, be collapsed and folded up compactly, for storage orwtransportation. All that is necessary for this purpose is to loosen or back off slightly the two pairs of wing nuts 22, 22 and 28, 28 that establish, as previously described, the rigid connections of the spreader bar 23, 24 to the respective end standards B. and B. Such loosening, by freeing the parts for relative pivotal movements on the bolts 2|, 2| allows first one end standard, and then the other, to be swung or folded over, through approximately 90, into substantial parallelism with each other and with the spreader bar 23, 24; this disposes the parts in the compact stack-like arrangement shown by Fig. 2, which occupies only a relatively small space, since its maximum thickness is approximately the length of the short leg 5 of each end standard. With equal ease and quickness the so-folded supporting structure can be set up for use, by opposite unfolding movements of both end standards, terminating with the bottoming of bolts 21, 21 in the notches 29, 29, and followed by the tightening of the two sets of wing nuts 22, 22 and 28, 28.

Iclaim:

1. In rug-hooking apparatus, a support structure for the pivotal mounting of a work or fabriccarrying frame, said support structure comprising a pair of end standards and a spreader bar between them, a pivotal connection between said spreader bar and each end standard, permitting the latter to be folded over into substantial parallelism with each other and with said spreader bar when said support structure, after removal of said work frame, is collapsed, and interengaging means on said spreader bar and each end standard to limit pivotal movement between said parts when said standards are unfolded to their upright frame supporting positions.

2. In rug-hooking apparatus, a support structure for pivotal mounting therein of a work or fabric-carrying frame, said support structure comprisin two laterally spaced end standards made wholly of lightweight tubular metal stock, and a spreader bar for connecting the lower portions of said end standards, said spreader bar being constituted by two telescopically related pieces of such stock, each piece being pivotally connected at its outer end to one of said end standards and said pieces being slidable one within the other to adjust the spacing of said end standards to the length of said fabric-carrying frame.

3. In rug-hooking apparatus employing a work or fabric-carrying frame providing bolts at its ends for its pivotal support, a supporting structure for said frame comprising two laterally spaced end standards made wholly of lightweight tubular metal stock, each of said end standards including an upright member at whose upper end said stock is flattened in the plane of said standard and slotted transversely, thereby to provide sea'tingsfor the pivot bolts of said fabric-carrying frame, the stock atthe lower end of each upright member being flattened in a vertical plane transverse to that of said standard, and a spreader bar of similar stock connected by. pivot pins to the last-mentioned flattened portions of said upright members, the spreader bar stock at the latters opposite ends being correspondingly flattened, to obtainan extended bearing surface for the connection of the parts.

4. In rug-hooking apparatus, a supporting structure for the pivotal mounting of a work or fabric-carrying frame, said structure comprising a pair of spaced end standards and a connecting spreader bar, means for rigidly clamping said spreader bar and end standards together when said standards are upright, pivotal connections between said spreader bar and both standards, on which the latter are adapted upon removal of said frame to 'be' folded over into substantial parallelism with each other and with said spreader bar, when said clamping means are loosened, and limiting means operative on the unfolding movements of said standards, in the act of setting up said support structure, to position said standards substantially at right angles to said spreader bar, prior to the tightenin of said 1 clamping means thereon.

5. In rug-hooking apparatus of the type employing a work or fabric-carrying frame providing aligned bolts, with wing nuts thereon, at its ends for its pivotal support, a support structure for said frame comprising two laterally spaced end standards made of lightweight tubular metal stock, each of said end standards including an upright member at whose upper end said stock is flattened and slotted, thereby to provide seatings for the pivot bolts of said work frame, a spreader bar pivotally attached at its ends to the respective lower portions of said end standards, in combination with a lighting fixture for said apparatus, comprising vertical supports of lightweight tubular metal stock whose lower ends are flattened and slotted, to embrace said pivot bolts and. to be clamped in place by the wing nuts thereon, a crossbar pivotally connected at its ends to said vertical supports, and a light fixture slidable on said crossbar, said spreader bar and said crossbar both being constituted of two pieces of telescopically related pieces of hollow tubular stock.

6. In rug-hooking apparatus of the type employing a work or fabric-carrying frame having aligned bolts at its opposite ends for its pivotal support, a supporting structure for said work frame comprising two end standards connected by a spreader bar, said end standards each comprising a vertically extending arm providing at its upper extremity a slot for receiving one of said pivot bolts, a horizontal arm extending inwardly from the lower extremity of the vertical arm, and a transversely extending member providing on either side of the vertical arm a down wardly extending foot portion for supporting the end standard on the floor, and with said spreader bar horizontally extending between the inward extremities of the aforementioned horizontal end-standard arms and pivotally connected thereto, said pivotal connection permitting the end standards, upon removal of the fabric-carrying frame, to be folded inwardly so that the vertical arms and the transverse members of the two standards will be substantially parallel to each other and to the spreader bar.

7. In rug-hooking apparatus of the type employing a work or fabric-carrying frame having bolts projecting from its ends for its pivotal support, a support structure for said frame comprising two end standards connected by a spreader bar, said end standards each comprising a vertically extending arm providing at its upper extremity a slot for receiving one of said pivot bolts, a horizontal arm extending inwardly from the lower extremity of the vertical arm, and a transversely extending member providing on either side of the vertical arm a downwardly extending foot portion for supporting the end standard on the floor, and with said spreader bar horizontally extending between the inward extremities of the aforementioned horizontal end-standard arms and pivotally connected thereto, said pivotal connection permitting the end standards, upon removal of the fabric-carrying frame, to be folded inwardly so that the vertical arms and the transverse members of the two standards will be substantially parallel to each other and to the 8 spreader bar, and said spreader bar comprising two tubular members of different diameters such that they slide one within the other in telescopic relation so as to vary the separation of the two end standards.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 283,287 Whipple Nov. 13, 1883 371,468 McMaster Oct. 11, 1887 579,472 Crawford Mar. 23, 1897 613,323 Scott Nov. 1,1898 940,070 Russell Nov. 16, 1909 1,015,448 Madden Jan. 23, 1912 1,161,934 Gilmore Nov. 30, 1915 1,315,656 Burgener Sept. 9, 1919 1,548,392 Stites Aug. 4, 1925 1,843,834, Roberts Feb. 2, 1932 2,273,446 Meyer Feb. 17, 1942 2,279,759 Moore Apr. 14, 1942 2,318,377 Meyer et a1 May 11, 1943 2,494,318 Sturk Jan. 10, 1950 2,536,071 McClung Jan. 2, 1951 2,576,049 Shott Nov. 20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 469,870 Great Britain Aug. 4, 1937 

